Mae West: Off-color Songs

Reporters who met MAE WEST during the 1920s and early 1930s — — before stardom cloaked her utterly — — have a refreshingly different take than those who met her as a bonafide movie queen.
• • New York Herald Tribune reporter Stanley Walker came up to see Mae West often in New York.
• • A section in Stanley Walker’s 1935 memoir discussed Mae West. This is Part 15 of 19 segments.
• • “Sex Comes to America” • •
• • Mae West had little schooling • •
• • Stanley Walker wrote: Fiction does not interest her, for, as she says, she can write her own. As a child, known as Mary Jane West then, she was coached by her actress mother, but had little schooling. At the age of six [sic] she appeared in a Brooklyn stock company.
• • Stanley Walker wrote: As a youngster she played Little Eva, Little Lord Fauntleroy, Little Willie in "East Lynne,” and between acts she sometimes said, "Father, Dear Father, Come Home with Me Now!"

• • Stanley Walker wrote: By 1911 she was appearing in small parts on Broadway. From 1913 to 1918 she did burlesque and vaudeville, where her singing, dancing, and figure were appreciated. Sometimes she sang off-color songs.
• • Stanley Walker wrote: When she appeared with Ed Wynn in "Sometime,” she showed the walk which was to make her famous and rich.
• • By 1926 Mae West figured it was time she amounted to something. • • . . .
• • This long chapter by Stanley Walker will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Chapter “Sex Comes to America” from "Mrs. Astor's Horse" written by Stanley Walker [NY: Frederick A. Stokes, 28 October 1935, 320 pages].
• • On Friday, 1 April 1921 • •
• • "The Ruby Ring" by Mae West was registered with the Library of Congress's Copyright Office early in the month of April — — on Friday, 1 April 1921.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • There were rumors about a feud between Raquel Welch and her co-star Mae West during the filming of "Myra Breckenridge." Quarreling over the gowns and costumes had started.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “I give 'em what they want to see."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • London’s newspaper The Guardian mentioned Mae West.
• • "John Kobal, the talking pictures man" • •
• • Richard Boston wrote: So what else?
• • Richard Boston wrote: John Kobal’s going to be on a television chat show, and there’s an exhibition in Leeds which has photographs from the collection, and he’s eventually going to finish his book on Cecil B. de Mille, and he’s written a musical about Mae West. …
• • Source: The Guardian [U.K.]; published on Wednesday, 11 March 1987
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 15th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,443rd blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1911 • •
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